Tour de force: last leg

The finale of the London Bulgarian Choir's tour is a monastery town called Troyan, where former choir members, Tsenka and Rolf, have organised a concert, as well as places for us to stay. 

To get there, we cross the Balkan mountain range that stretches all the way from Serbia to the Black Sea. It's a steep, winding road and we make the most of the views – and a break from the hairpin bends – at the top of the pass. 

The point of no return

We visit the monastery, a tranquil retreat with a chapel decorated with delicately fading frescoes. We're invited to sing some of our orthodox songs inside and the monks, visibly moved, lead us to their guest quarters for some hospitality – their own homemade rakia. 

Monastic peace and quiet

A matter of life and death

Going inside to sing

The concert that evening is outdoors and we're joined by a local choir who sing in a classical style, a real contrast to the folk melodies and chorals we've just experienced at Koprivshtitsa. It all goes well, and is followed by a slap-up meal laid on by the town council. Several raucous songs later, we slink off to bed. The tour has reached its end. We're hoarse, sleep-deprived and hungover. But we'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

Time for the bus home...